1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a system and method for the building of walls for commercial, public, residential and other buildings, as well as similar structures.
2. Related Art
The construction of walls for buildings and other structures typically involves methods that provide for the formation of durable and fairly long-lasting structures. Preferred construction methods may also use cost-effective materials and processes that are reasonably easy to implement, thereby reducing the overall construction cost. In one example of a conventional method used to build walls for commercial and residential structures, a combination of cinder blocks, rebar tubes, and a concrete foundation are used to provide the building materials and framework for the wall construction. In a first step, a foundation for the wall is prepared by laying a slab of wet concrete over a selected area of ground. While the concrete is still wet, a number of the rebar tubes are inserted vertically into the foundation slab. The cinder blocks are lifted up over-top of the rebar tubes so the upper ends of the rebar tubes can be threaded through vertical holes formed in the cinder blocks. The cinder blocks are then lowered down along the rebar tubes to rest on, and even slightly within, the concrete foundation. Once a first course of blocks has been formed on the concrete foundation by these steps, second and subsequent courses can be formed by passing additional sets of cinder blocks over the rebar tubes to vertically stack them on top of the first course. Drying of the concrete foundation holds the rebar tubes and first course of cinder blocks in place. To fully stabilize the structure, wet mortar is typically poured into and through the holes in the cinder block courses, thereby sealing the structure upon drying.
However, a problem with such conventional methods is that the insertion of the rebar tubes, and even in some cases the laying of the first course of cinder blocks, typically must be performed before the concrete foundation has dried. If the insertion of the tubes is not completed before the concrete foundation has dried, or if the tubes or cinder blocks are discovered to have been placed incorrectly after the concrete has already dried, then the concrete slab has to be broken up, removed and re-laid in order to properly re-do the rebar tube insertion, which can be a very costly and time-intensive procedure. It can also be difficult to stabilize the re-bar tubes in the wet concrete for a duration sufficient to achieve placement of all of the tubes, increasing the likelihood of having to re-do the insertion step.
Yet another problem with such conventional wall construction methods is the cumbersome height of the rebar tubes typically required to build wall structures. Rebar tubes are selected according to the desired height of the wall structure, with very tall rebar tubes being selected for higher walls. Unfortunately, such high rebar tubes can make it difficult to lift the cinder blocks over the tops of the rebar tubes in order to form the wall. This can especially be true when placing cinder blocks while the concrete foundation is wet, as any “jolting” of the rebar while trying to place the blocks can dislodge the rebar from its proper position in the foundation. Also, lifting the cinder blocks to the tops of the rebar tubes increases the likelihood of breaking the cinder blocks, which are susceptible to fracturing and cracking if dropped with sufficient force.
A method proposed to compensate for these problems is the use of cinder blocks having openings formed in the front sides thereof, which allows positioning of the cinder blocks by sideways insertion of the blocks onto the rebar tube frame. However, these same openings can cause undesirable leaking of the mortar from the wall when attempting to seal the structure with mortar, making it difficult to achieve a fully sealed and stabilized structure.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a system and method for building a wall structure that allows for relatively easy construction thereof. There is also a need for a system and method that do not require the insertion of materials into a wet foundation to achieve a stable structure. There is further a need for a system and method that allows for stable construction without requiring the use of very long and cumbersome rebar tubes. There is also a need for methods that allow for the construction of wall structures substantially without requiring the use of mortar.